@ArnieK #Leadscon@ArnieK #Pubcon

Arnie Kuenn, CEO, Vertical Measures

How to Map Your Content

to Your Sales Funnel

@ArnieK #Pubcon

About Your Presenter...

● Vertical Measures is a 50 person PPC, SEO

& content marketing agency in Phoenix, AZ

● Taught more than 4,000 people in our workshops

● Co-authored: Content Marketing Works

● Sample of our 40+ clients:

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● Content marketing is the art of providing relevant, useful contentto your customers without selling or interrupting them.

● Instead of pitching your products or services, you are delivering information that makes your customers more informed before they buy.

What is Content Marketing?

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ZMOT – By Google

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93% of all consumers

use search prior to

making a purchase

93%

86% of searchers

conduct non-branded

queries

86%

90%+ of buyers click on

organic links vs. the

sponsored ads

90%86%

How Important is Search?

Source: GroupM

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Buyers are searching for

information that helps them

make an informed decision.

Businesses that provide

that information - will win.

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“Today’s buyers control their journey through the buying cycle much more than today’s vendors control the selling cycle …

…marketers must take responsibility for engaging with the customer through more of the buying journey.”

- Lori Wizdo, VP, Principal Analyst at Forrester Research

Who Controls the Sales Cycle?

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● Your audience can be a number of different groups

– depending on your industry & your site offerings

o Current/potential customers? People

spending money on your product or service

now or in the future?

o Location? Are you a location based business

and how might that impact your audience?

o Seasonal? Is your business seasonal with a

changing audience?

Who is Your Audience?

Know Your Target Audience

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Demographics

1. What is the person’s age?

2. What is the person’s level of education?

3. Does this person require a specific skill set, degree,

certification, or other continuing education?

4. What is their title and where do they stand on the

organizational chart?

• Do they report to someone or are they responsible

for a team?

• How are they measured?

• Are they capable of making purchase decisions or

do they require additional input?

Develop Personas

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Behavior

1. What are this person’s most important daily

responsibilities?

2. What is their routine when they get to the office?

3. What daily obstacles make this person’s work life

more difficult?

4. What would make life easier?

5. What does the person read on a daily basis?

6. Where do they get the information that helps

them do their jobs much better?

More On Personas

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Behavior and Research Needs

Awareness Stage

Consideration Stage

Decison Stage

Mission:Users are seeking educational, third

party, vendor neutral content.

Mission:Users are committing to

solving their clearly defined problems, more focused on solutions &

comparisons

Mission:Users are seeking

validation in determining their short list and selecting a vendor

• Sympton research to decide is a problem exists

• Establish Requirements

• Identify business or personal problem

• Explore all avenues and types of options across industries

• Research Solutions

• Determine Solution Strategy

• Research Products

• Research Products/ Vendors

• Assess ROI

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Most Relevant Content Types

Awareness Stage

Consideration Stage

Decison Stage

Editorial Content/Blogs

eBooks/eGuides

White Papers

Social Media

Podcasts/Video

Webinars

Solution Comparisons/ White Papers

Expert eGuides

Analyst Reports

Video (How to)

Product Comparisons

Case Studies

Trials

Product Literature

Manuals/Product Guides

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Words Do Matter

Awareness Stage

Consideration Stage

Decison Stage

Issues/Opportunity

Type TermsSolution Type Terms

Comparison/Review

Terms

Troubleshoot

Issues

Resolve

Risks

Upgrade

Improve

Optimize

Prevent

Solution

Provider

Service

Supplier

Tool

Device

Software

Appliance

Compare or Comparison

Versus or Vs.

Best or Top

Cost or Price

Pros and Cons

Benchmarks

Review

Test

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Sample Content Matrix

Awareness Stage

Consideration Stage

Decison Stage

Buyer

Persona 1

Buyer

Persona 2

Content Offers

we Have:

Content Offers

we Need:

Content Offers

we Have:

Content Offers

we Need:

5 Offers 3 Offers 0 Offers

1 Offer 1 Offer 1 Offer

Good for now Good for now Build out offers

Build out offers

Repurpose from

#1?

Build out offers

Repurpose from

#1?

Good for now

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Sample Ideation Template

Awareness Stage

Consideration Stage

Decison Stage

Buyer With Problem Solving Problem Buyer Decision

I need to improve _____

I need to prevent _____

I need to start _____

I need to stop _____

I need to optimize _____

I need to solve _____

Why?_____

How?_____

When?_____

What app can _____

What tools can _____

What solutions ____

____ industry services

____ alternatives

What fixes for _____

Why?_____

How?_____

When?_____

Need prices for ____

Need specs for ____

Need proof that ____

Need assurances that

____

____ vendors

____ providers

Best ____

Top ____

Who offers ____

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Separate Personas and Intent

Persona: Bargin Ben

Search Intent: Cheap and In Stock

Buyer’s Journey Phase: Decision

“Store Name Widget”

“where to Buy cheapest Widget”

“Best Widget Prices in 90210”

Persona: Techie Tina

Search Intent: Implimentaion

Buyer’s Journey Phase: Awareness

“Store Name Widget”

“where to Buy cheapest Widget”

“Best Widget Prices in 90210”

Persona: Techie Taylot

Search Intent: Problem Solving

Buyer’s Journey Phase: Awareness

“Store Name Widget”

“where to Buy cheapest Widget”

“Best Widget Prices in 90210”

Persona: Decisive Dee

Search Intent: Reviews

Buyer’s Journey Phase: Decision

“Store Name Widget”

“where to Buy cheapest Widget”

“Best Widget Prices in 90210”

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Example University

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1. Cost

2. Problems

3. VS.

4. Reviews

5. Best

Marcus Sheridan

Types of Content that Really Work

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Hub & Spoke Model

Promotional Email

Staff Promotional Email

Landing Page

Blog Posts

Twitter Post

Linked in Post

Press Release

Facebook Posts

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How to Grow Your Business Without Keywords Video

Watch: VerticalMeasures.com/ideation

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● Don’t ask “What can you write

about?” Ask “What questions do

you get asked every day”

● Do not gamble your success

on creating cute, clever, fun

content. Produce content people

are ACTUALLY searching for!

Every Moment is a Content Opportunity

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Our Training and Resources

HowToConvinceYourBoss.com

On-Site Workshops

Content Coaching

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Tweet: @ArnieK’s Content Marketing

book is FREE at

http://vert.ms/cmworks #Pubcon

Thank You!

vert.ms/cmworks

@ArnieK

#DSP15